I love the books AND the movies! While it's fair to say that I found some of the changes in LOTR jarring, I was never offended by them as some folks seem to be. I have a distinct memory of seeing FOTR for the first time and thinking, "Boy, they got out of the Shire awful fast," but upon repeated viewings of the film, I came to understand the logic of compressing the time-frame of the early chapters. I've written stage adaptations of literary works, and even though I have to make changes to fit the constraints of a different medium, I always do it with the utmost affection for the original source material. I think it's clear if one listens to the DVD commentary tracks that Peter, Fran, and Phiippa feel the same way. I MAINTAIN THAT ONE CAN BE A "PURIST" AND STILL LOVE THE FILMS!! I am, I do, and I am confident that come December 2012, I will!!